


Another Path

by Milo



Category: One Piece
Genre: Gen, One Piece Reverse Bang 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-10 14:41:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,563
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7849069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milo/pseuds/Milo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rocinante takes a different child with him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another Path

**Author's Note:**

> This is my half of the project I worked on with [ticksan](ticksan.tumblr.com)!! They not only gave me one, but three pieces of super adorable art to go with it! You can see them better on Tumblr [here](http://flowerofthewave.tumblr.com/post/150328495335/my-work-for-the-reverse-bang-2016-baby-5-is)!

Rocinante had prepared for a variety of scenarios he might encounter from the Donquixote Family both mentally and while in training. He tried to consider what sorts of outcomes there might be if discovered, or how he might handle certain members should they become a threat. He considered how best to handle his brother, and how he would sneak information back from his post.

He hadn’t expected the children.

There were always new potential recruits for the Donquixote Pirates. But, as quickly as they appeared, they were gone again. This included a fair number of kids; often desperate, starving children living on the streets but at times also children who only had ever heard pirate tales and sought out the adventure. Even if he wasn’t hiding his voice from Doflamingo, it simply wasn’t possible for Rocinante to sit down and talk to each and every child about the error in joining pirate gangs. He doubted they would listen if they were hard-headed enough to face any of Doflamingo’s goons and ask to join.

At first he’d let them be. Doflamingo had standards he held for his crew and it was exceedingly rare that he’d accept anyone, let alone young children. After all, they were of no use to him immediately. The slew of bright-eyed children that came before them were always turned away quickly and without second thought. And then things changed.

First there was Buffalo, a boy that the family had “rescued” off the streets. He had no family to speak of and, with nowhere else to go, he’d apparently followed after them one day. That he’d been accepted into their crew was beyond his comprehension. Apparently Doflamingo had _use_ for him--there was no other explanation, and the idea was revolting. What was worse was that Buffalo seemed more than happy with his new family. Which meant that he wasn’t planning on changing his mind and leaving.

Then, several months later, Jora had ushered home a little girl. She was young, and weak, and Rocinante could only wonder why Doflamingo had agreed to it. What in the world did his brother think he was doing, adopting children into danger like this? And what was he planning to do with them?

Desperate times called for drastic measures.

 

* * *

 

“Whoa-ho!” Diamante lowered his shades to watch a young boy fly through the air and land in the sea with a loud _plunk_. “No mercy even for children, eh Corazon?”

Rocinante said nothing. He turned away to light a fresh cigarette. He’d seen the boy swimming in the harbor the day previous which was why he’d chosen that particular way to get rid of him. He’d be fine. Wet, perhaps a little shaken, but that was better than injured or dead. A pirate ship was no place for young children, especially those who had no idea what they were getting into.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw the boy’s head pop up above the water and he felt a little relieved. Both Trebol and Diamante laughed as they watched the boy swim to shore and run away. Though it bothered him, it was good that the others simply thought Rocinante’s actions were amusing and little else.

“Uhahaha! Look at him run!”

“Behehehe...That’s the fifth one this week,” Trebol added. “You think they’d learn. We don’t need a bunch of useless brats running around.”

Baby 5, who was also watching the scene, immediately perked up. She hurried to Lao G’s side and tugged on his pant leg.

“Am I useful?” She asked, sounding worried.

“Of course, my dear,” Lao G said, patting her on the head. “An absolutely glorious example of usefulness--With a G!”

She beamed up at him and giggled happily before she climbs up onto the rail and sat down beside him. It was hard to tell if he actually meant the comment--it was difficult to take anyone’s word for what it was on this ship. Baby 5, he noticed, was very easy to sway; she had an incredible need to please, perhaps even to a fault. Once she was convinced that they needed her help, it was impossible to drive her away. Even swatting her around refused to produce any results.

Rocinante narrowed his eyes at Jora as she cooed at baby Dellinger, who quickly ripped through the nipple of the bottle she’d given him with his tiny, extra-sharp baby teeth. He wasn’t entirely sure where Doflamingo had found the infant--whether he was abandoned or stolen from his family he wasn’t certain--but the very sight of him bothered Rocinante. A baby couldn’t make decisions. A baby couldn’t leave on its own. And with Jora watching over him like a hawk, it was difficult to find the opportunity to get him away.

He walked across the deck, slipped on the small puddle created by the spilled baby formula, and fell back painfully onto the deck. The flame from the cigarette caught his coat again and he desperately tried to pat it out as the family openly shared a laugh while Doflamingo simply shook his head and sighed.

 

* * *

 

Rocinante had been to a number of islands in the North Blue, however this one was mostly unfamiliar to him. It was small and probably nothing special, small population, mostly containing cutesy shops. Doflamingo might have chosen to pass it by, but they were in desperate need of supplies. Plus, they needed somewhere to regroup where Tsuru wouldn’t be looking. She had been determinedly chasing them for days now.

Doflamingo had formulated a new plan: they were going to try and throw off the Marines using an oncoming storm as means to escape. It was risky, but it was apparently a chance that Doflamingo was willing to take. Rocinante had already notified Sengoku while he was in town. He bought a newspaper as a cover-up and was now leisurely reading an article about pirate activity in Grand Line.

“Hey, Corazon!”

It was Baby 5. He chose not to acknowledge her. She poked him in the side lightly. He shifted a bit, flipped to the next page in the paper, and continued to determinedly ignore her. She let out a huff, crossed her arms, and then scurried around to face him. There was a quiet moment before she jumped up and yanked down the paper, startling Rocinante.

“I _know_ you can hear me,” she said, face puffed up in a pout.

Rocinante narrowed his eyes at her and, with a quiet sigh through his nose, folded up the newspaper and tossed it aside. Seeming glad that he was finally paying attention to her, Baby 5 grinned widely.

“Um,” she began, “I wanted to go explore the island like everyone else...but Buffalo already went without me and I don’t wanna go all by myself…”

He glanced around slowly, trying to spot any other adult who was still aboard the vessel. The deck was empty save for Gladius who seemed to be cleaning out several of his guns. Rocinante pointed to him with his chin. Baby 5 glanced behind her and then shook her head.

“Gladius says he’s too busy to go with me,” she said. Then, she looked down and fiddled with the edges of her dress. “I...I promised not to be a burden.”

Rocinante gave her his best menacing look before he let out another sigh. Well, he thought, there were worse things to spend his time doing than following after a little girl. He slowly stood up, much to her pleasure, and walked over to the gangway. After they were a few feet away from the ship, Baby 5 tugged on his pant leg. He looked down at her. She motioned for him to get down to her level.

“I’m gonna buy everyone gifts,” she whispered. “Don’t tell anybody okay? It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

Rocinante looked at her and then put a finger to his lips. Baby 5 smiled and nodded in approval. It was sweet of her to think of everyone like that, even though it was likely that not everyone was going to enjoy them.

It was a fairly nice island, all in all. The weather was warm, the breeze made it that much more satisfying. The main street in town was lined with quaint little shops, fruit and vegetable stands, a small fish market. Baby 5 skipped along ahead of him, weaving through the people walking by. She was a bit hard to spot in the crowd which left him feeling nervous. He kept his composure but was constantly searching for her little yellow bow.

They went from shop to shop, buying various things. Baby 5 had tried to carry all the little bags herself before Rocinante easily took them from her and placed them on his arm. Occasionally they were noticed by the island’s inhabitants, who either muttered to themselves of laughed a bit about Rocinante being a little girl’s personal shopping cart.

After a long walk down the road and a short trip in a grocery store, Baby 5 stopped in front of a boutique and insisted on dragging him along inside. He had to duck down quite a bit to miss hitting the door frame.

It was a tiny shop lined with mostly women’s clothing, shoes, and hair accessories. A singular clerk was stocking the shelves. She greeted Baby 5 with a friendly smile but flinched when she saw Rocinante and nearly dropped the sweaters in her hands. She gulped and then nodded in acknowledgement. He assumed that she’d heard enough stories of pirates pillaging stores to know to be careful. There wouldn’t be any mischief today with a Marine commander around, but she didn’t know that.

While Baby 5 browsed, Rocinante pulled out a fresh cigarette and stuck it in his mouth. As he clicked the lighter, the clerk took a step closer to him.

“E-Excuse me, sir,” the clerk said warily. He glanced at her. “Th-this is...a non-smoking building…”

He stared at her for a moment before he removed the cigarette from his mouth and closed the lighter. Knowing his luck, he’d probably set the whole boutique on fire anyhow. She smiled a little, but she was still clearly quite afraid of him.

Meanwhile, Baby 5 was picking out things from the shelves--clothes several times too big and too small, which he assumed were for Jora and Dellinger. She occasionally stopped to talk to the clerk, discussing fashion and other related things that Rocinante quickly tuned out. He leaned against the wall and glanced out of the shop’s window. He spotted Trebol and Diamante out on the street harassing some passersby.

“Psst! Corazon!”

Rocinante glanced back into the shop and caught Baby 5 dragging a too-big sweater along the ground.

“I found this in the back! It looks like it’d fit you, Corazon!” She said as she displayed the too-big garment with pride.

It was yellow, white, and orange, and quite frankly a bit gaudy. However, it most certainly fit in with the unique style choices of the Donquixote pirates. He took it from her and turned it around in his hands, scrutinizing it. Upon his arrival, Doflamingo had bought him all the clothes he’d ever need. Plus, this garment was a little too big, maybe just a size bigger.

But Baby 5 was looking up at him with wide, hopeful eyes, begging him to tell her she’d done something right by him. They weren’t exactly on good terms, after all, with him doing his best to force her to change her mind and leave. He looked from the sweater and back before he shrugged a little and draped it over his arm. She let out a squeak of excitement and held out her hands.

“I’ll buy it for you!” Baby 5 said. Rocinante blinked at her. “I knew what gifts to get everyone but you, and I didn’t know what kinds of things you like…”

He frowned and tilted his head to the side in a silent question. Baby 5 giggled.

“I didn’t really like you at first cause you’re mean sometimes, but everyone else is a little mean, too,” she said. “And since you agreed to come with me, I wanted to make it up to you!”

After a moment, he handed the sweater back to her and she hurried to the cash register to happily purchase everything. Rocinante watched her, arms crossed, with a tiny smile. She could have easily gotten away with stealing everything thanks to her Devil Fruit power. He couldn’t help but feel a bit proud that she was making the right choice. Once everything was tucked away into a bag, he carried it for her with his free hand.

And, just after he successfully managed to avoid hitting his head on the doorway, he ran straight into the hanging sign and fell over, sending the bags and their contents into the air. Baby 5 burst into a giggle fit as he sat back up and rubbed his head.

“You’re silly, Corazon!” She said before she gathered up her things without complaint.

 

* * *

 

The knife had shocked him more than anything else. The wound stung a bit, but the area around it had since gone numb. It wasn’t the first time he’d been stabbed, so Rocinante knew how to take care of it on his own. Once it was properly cleaned, sewn up, and bandaged, he decided it would be best to quickly forget about it.

Law had to lash out at someone and it happened to be him. He wasn’t thinking clearly. It wasn’t his fault.

That angry little boy was more like his brother than he thought; hardship had filled him with nothing but rage. That was probably why Doflamingo had kept him around. Though sometimes it was difficult for Rocinante to truly understand his motivations, he had caught on to the pattern of Doflamingo adopting people from similar backgrounds as they had been in. Of course he wasn’t a charity case, he picked and chose with extreme prejudice.

“...What the hell? How’d you get cut?”

Oh. Speak of the devil. Rocinante hastily found his pad of paper and a pencil, scribbled down a note, and showed it to his brother. Doflamingo walked in closer.

“An enemy? Did you take care of them?”

A nod.

“Good. Be more careful next time.”

Doflamingo turned to leave and took four steps back to the doorway before he stopped. Rocinante continued bandaging himself. He heard Doflamingo scratch the back of his head.

“Ah...Roci,” Doflamingo said. “I’d like your opinion on something.” Rocinante glanced back at his brother with a curious gaze. Doflamingo rubbed his chin. “Law is an interesting little boy, isn’t he? Smart, cunning, can hold himself in a fight…”

Rocinante furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head a bit, as if to say, “Where are you going with this?”

“I’ve given it some thought. I want to make him my right hand man--in ten or twelve years, that is,” Doflamingo finally said. Then, he chuckled. “No offense, or anything. I like you just fine. But Law might be better suited for what I have in mind.”

At a loss for words, Rocinante simply stared at him as if this information was a bit of a shock. He set down what was left of the roll of bandages on the table. Doflamingo came back and took a seat in a nearby chair. Rocinante quickly wrote him another note:

_What about Law’s illness?_

“Yeah, about that...I’ve been doing a little late night reading,” Doflamingo said. “Little bits of research here and there. I’m concerned that a regular doctor isn’t going to be able to cure Law’s illness. However, I think I’ve come up with an interesting solution; tell me, Corazon, have you ever heard of the Op-Op Fruit?”

Rocinante thought for a moment before nodding slowly. Of course. The ultimate devil fruit. It didn’t often come up in conversation, but he’d heard about it in passing once from Sengoku of all people. Though he was unsure of what exactly it did, he did know one thing for sure: it held some kind of incredible healing power, perhaps the greatest known to man. And it wasn’t something he wanted in Doflamingo’s hands.

“The plan is simple: I’m going to have Law eat the fruit before his time runs out,” Doflamingo continued. “I’ve heard that it can cure any disease--and with Law’s prior medical knowledge, it will be a snap!” He snapped his fingers for emphasis. “I was originally planning to let you have it, but...I believe that, things as they are now, Law might be better suited for its abilities.”

Rocinante took a moment to process this before he replied.

_What if someone has already eaten the fruit?_

“Then we kill them and take it when it regenerates,” Doflamingo replied without a moment’s hesitation. “Perhaps it’s a bit much for one kid, but I--well, I can’t shake this feeling that Law is going to be an asset to our family.” Then he offered Rocinante a small smile. “I thought I’d ask my current right hand man before I pitch the idea to everyone else.”

Our family. _Our_ family. As if Rocinante actually belonged with this glorified band of bandits, crooks, kidnappers, and murderers. No doubt they’d be all for yet another powerful, dangerous member of their team. Doflamingo would surely install Law as a permanent family member. And, assuming Law survived, he would have whatever powers that the Op-Op Fruit had at his disposal. Rocinante feared what kind of destruction Law might cause, especially so considering Doflamingo wished to guide him through it. It was a terrible scenario.

But on the other hand...it was hard to deny that Law was suffering. Even in the early stages, Rocinante would notice him shivering, sometimes faltering. Telling Doffy off about this plan might sentence Law to death--if it was true that nothing else could cure him, what else could he do? It’s not as if he could simply up and leave his post, take Law, and travel the world on a whim looking for some miracle doctor. It would arouse too much suspicion, more than he was willing to risk for this assignment. That, and Law was adamant about harming him...

Finally, he wrote Doflamingo another note and held it out.

_Do you know where the fruit is?_

“...Well, no,” Doflamingo said. “But I’d venture a guess that the Marines might have it. Something that powerful would be locked away within their vaults, don’t you think? Or perhaps a wealthy merchant who had a stroke of luck...or bad luck should we ever find him, fufufu.”

Rocinante said nothing, at first, still deep in thought, and by the time he thought up something to write Doflamingo cut him off again. “I suppose you’re right. We don’t have any idea where the fruit is. Until we do, there are more important things to invest our time in,” he said. He got up from his seat. “Thanks for your input, Roci. Don’t forget to keep that wound clean.”

Doflamingo pulled the door shut as he left, leaving Rocinante alone with his thoughts.

He walked across the floorboards to get to the window, bumping into a table on his way. From it, he could see the children playing outside near the docks. Baby 5 had no doubt bought everyone ice cream again, and Buffalo was laughing about something. He narrowed his eyes. These children didn’t know any better.

And yet, they would eventually grow up and be no different than the rest of the crew; ruthless, dangerous misfits waiting to be locked away.

 

* * *

 

Bartering for the night watch was troublesome. Everyone was more than convinced that he would trip and fall while everyone was asleep. Doflamingo, who was fully aware of his clumsy act, usually chose not to put Rocinante in the watch rotations. But this time, Rocinante had played up his want to be just as useful as the rest of the crew. It had captured Doflamingo’s heart, and he happily gave him the time slot.

The plan was to trust him with it. He wouldn’t escape just yet; let them believe he was capable of handling it. He went through several weeks worth of sleepless nights. He spent most of that time thinking, plotting, deciding how it would be best to leave. They had a few lifeboats on board, just enough to fit everyone safely. Using the Calm ability would make his escape soundless. Nobody would suspect a thing til morning, and by then? He’d be long gone.

He considered taking Dellinger along with him. It wouldn’t be a problem keeping him quiet, after all.

On the night of his planned escape--which he’d moved back a day after pulling a night shift on a warm, misty night, he set out to swipe Dellinger from his bedroom. Jora would have surely put him to bed by now. He tapped himself, activating the Calm power, and snuck through the interior of the ship. It seemed like everyone was fast asleep, as evident by some very loud snoring.

As he approached Dellinger’s bedroom, he heard the door creak open and froze in place. Out walked Jora, who yawned loudly and rubbed her eyes. Rocinante stepped back into the darkness of the hallway. Of course. Jora usually stayed up late to care for Dellinger--and complained about the lack of sleep in the morning. There were tiny bite marks going up her arms and to her shoulders. Some were still bleeding.

If he took him now, Jora would certainly notice his missing presence. She returned momentarily from the bathroom, arms properly dressed, and Rocinante reluctantly stayed to watch her walk back into the room, her shoes clicking against the floor. He let out a quiet sigh before he turned away and shuffled quickly down the hall.

I’m so sorry Dellinger, he thought. I’ll come back for you after all this is over.

He placed his hand on the lifeboat to activate the Calm power and soundlessly removed the tarp from it. As he quietly tucked away his things and checked to make sure the boat would be stable, he couldn’t help but feel guilty leaving the children behind. He would come back for them, of course, but he still couldn’t help but feel like a failure for not working hard enough to make them leave on their own. Perhaps, if he made it out alright, he could pass on the word soon enough to rescue all of them right away--

“Corazon?”

Rocinante stilled instantly. It was Baby 5’s voice. Slowly, he turned around to look at her. She was in her pajamas, a little doll in one hand and the other rubbing her sleepy eyes. He hadn’t even heard her approach. When had she gotten out of bed?

“What are you doing with that boat, Corazon?” She asked. “Where are you going?”

Rocinante stared at her for a minute before he looked away. Alright. And there went his carefully planned escape. He couldn’t shoo Baby 5 back to bed, lest she woke anyone else up with the report that he was sneaking away into the mist. Regardless of what excuse he made up, she would inevitably tell someone--perhaps Buffalo or Law. And then they would in turn notify one of the adults...No, he couldn’t risk Doflamingo losing trust in him so soon.

But taking her along had its own set of complications as well. He couldn’t just bring back a little girl with him to Marine headquarters--even if she wanted to stay she was hardly old enough to be even a Marine trainee. Where would she live?

Perhaps...there were plenty of islands dotting North Blue, certainly there had to be a family willing to accept her? She was cute, smart, surely someone would love to have her around.

He pulled out his pad of paper and hastily wrote a note.

_I’m going on a secret mission._

“A secret mission?” Baby 5 repeated. “Like Vergo?”

He nodded. Baby 5 seemed thrilled about this; she was important enough to be the only one that he told. Rocinante put a finger to his lips and she did the same before looking around to make sure nobody was watching them.

“I’m good at keeping secrets,” she whispered. “I won’t tell anyone.”

Rocinante shook his head, scribbled out another response, and held it out to her.

_I need you to come with me._

The sleepiness disappeared from her eyes as they lit up with a brand new spark. She gasped quietly. “Really?” She asked. “You...You need me?”

Rocinante gave her a small smile.

_I think you could be very useful._

 

* * *

 

Doflamingo hurried out onto the deck, where a few of the crew were standing around. But Corazon wasn’t among them, and he wasn’t in his bed either, which left Doflamingo in a state of worry.

“So it’s true then? Corazon is missing?”

“He didn’t wake me up for my shift,” Gladius said, arms crossed. “I’d nearly slept through it before I realized something was wrong.” He approached Doflamingo. “When I came out on the deck, I couldn’t find anyone.”

Trebol, who was looking over the side of the boat, laughed.

“Behehe--You think he fell overboard?” He said to Diamante.

“Uhahahaha….he probably tripped over some rope and went flying over the side! Then he sunk right to the bottom and--”

“Shut up,” Doflamingo snapped, silencing them both. “Corazon can swim. He’s not as useless as you all insist.”

“Besides,” Gladius spoke up again. “I did a thorough check of the area and found that we’re missing a lifeboat.”

He pointed to the far side of the ship, where there was, indeed, one lifeboat missing. Nothing remained of it, not even the tarp covering, which was probably why Doflamingo hadn’t noticed it at first. He stepped toward it and scratched his chin. What had happened last night?

“Young Master!” Jora shouted. Doflamingo turned around to face her. She ran toward him, a sleepy Dellinger in her arms. “I can’t find Baby 5 anywhere!”

Doflamingo blinked. “She’s not in her room?” He asked.

“Nor in any other rooms,” Jora said. “The other children haven’t seen her since last night. All of her things are still there. It’s as if...as if she simply disappeared!”

Doflamingo walked to the side of the ship where the lifeboat had been launched. He stared out at the sea with an unreadable expression. All eyes were on him. He frowned deeply.

“The hell’s going on here?”

 

* * *

 

“Hee!” Baby 5 cupped her cheeks. “I’ve never been on a secret mission before. I’m gonna make the Young Master super proud!

Rocinante glanced at her but didn’t reply, instead focusing on rowing. Baby 5 hadn’t been awake for long; soon after they had cast off, she fell asleep to the lull of the boat. It had given Rocinante some time to figure out what to do from there. The plan was to contact Sengoku, find the nearest Marine base, and find somewhere safe to take Baby 5. Not necessarily in that order. Baby 5 hummed to herself as she watched the water pass by the boat, oblivious to his plans.

“Hmm...I wish I’d brought some of my things along,” she said. “Jora made me a really nice hat with lots of ribbons! I was gonna wear it tomorrow when we all went out for ice cream together…”

The water was fairly calm and there wasn’t a ship in sight. Rocinante decided that now was as good as ever to contact Sengoku and let him know about the change of plans. He withdrew a transponder snail from his pocket and set it down in front of him. He quickly dialed it and picked up the transceiver. Baby 5 watched him curiously.

“Are you gonna tell the Young Master that we’re doing okay so far?” She asked.

Rocinante didn’t look at her, instead focusing his attention on the snail as it rang. Eventually, the call was picked up.

“ _Rice--!_ ”

“Cakes,” Rocinante returned. “It’s me.”

“ _Ah! Rocinante. It’s been ages_ ,” Sengoku said, sounding relieved to hear his voice. “ _I was getting worried._ ”

A loud gasp came from the other end of the boat. Baby 5 was staring at him, wide eyed and slack-jawed. He paused to glance at her. She covered her mouth with her hands.

“Y-You talked!” She exclaimed.

“ _...Is...someone there with you?_ ” Sengoku asked.

“One of the Donquixote children. I had no choice but to bring her with me,” Rocinante answered.

“ _I see. And what about the others?_ ” Sengoku asked. “ _Did you successfully scare them off?_ ”

“Unfortunately not. They were too stubborn to leave and it was too risky to take any more of them with me.” Baby 5’s face went from shock to betrayal in seconds. She crossed her arms and put out her lip in a pout. Rocinante felt a bit awkward. “Er--can you tell me where Tsuru is? I was hoping to intercept her en route. I have some valuable information...”

Rocinante continued on with his conversation, discussing odds and ends with Sengoku until they ended on the note of meeting with Tsuru, who was docked several islands away. Tsuru would be filled in on the details--which would probably earn Sengoku an earful, as Tsuru had been left out of the plans on purpose to keep absolute secrecy--and would come to get Rocinante who would deliver to her the vital information.

With the receiver back in its place, he turned back toward Baby 5. She was determinedly not looking at him, doing her best to be as visibly angry as possible. Tears were forming in her eyes.

“You lied to all of us,” she muttered.

“It was necessary,” he replied.

“You said you needed me, was that a lie too?”

Rocinante paused. “I did need you to come with me,” he said. “It was very important that you left. I wanted you to get to safety.”

Baby 5 pouted a little more, making her best grumpy face, before she faltered. She lifted her head up again to look at Rocinante.

“...Is that why you used to smack us around when we played pranks on you?” She asked.

“Hm?”

“You said that you tried to make us leave,” she said. Rocinante’s eyebrows rose and she pouted at him again. “I’m a really good listener.”

“That environment wasn’t good for you--any of you. It was unsafe, unhealthy, and none of those people are good role models for children,” Rocinante explained. “I was trying to convince you to get out of harm’s way while you still could. Sooner or later those people would take advantage of you--”

“ _Don’t_ talk about them like that!” Baby 5 yelled, catching Rocinante off guard. “They...they were my family! They loved me and they needed me! They _said_ so!”

Rocinante sighed and rubbed his temple. “It’s not that simple, they didn’t mean--”

“You don’t understand _anything_ !” Baby 5 turned away from him and pulled her knees to her chest. “You...you don’t get it...They wanted me to stay...They _needed_ me…”

For a while, there was an uncomfortable silence between them. Rocinante wasn’t exactly sure what to say to her at this point, she seemed to angry with him to listen to reason and too young to understand that the family she knew and loved was bad for her. The wind picked up quickly, which left him to focus on sailing more than anything else. It would be hours before they reached Tsuru. And in that time, he wanted to find a decent place to take Baby 5.

Best case scenario, she could grow up with a good family in a child-friendly area. She was young; given time, she would slowly forget about the Donquixote pirates, forget about him, and all of this. She could get an education, a proper job, she could even have a family of her own someday in the future. She was free to make her own choices, to choose a destiny that didn’t end in shackles.

After a while of rowing, a little stretch of green appeared over the horizon; an island. It was small and looked fairly peaceful. As they came closer, a little town was visible. It certainly looked nice. Maybe, if they had time, he could show her around and get her opinion of the people there--

“Corazon?” Baby 5 asked, suddenly sounding a bit worried. “Why are we heading for that island? I thought that man said--”

“It’s a very nice island. Quiet, friendly. Nobody will bother you there,” Rocinante replied, focusing his attention on rowing.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m taking you out of danger.”

Baby 5 stared at him, alarmed. “Y-You’re gonna leave me there?” She said.

“It’s safe,” Rocinante urged. “You’ll be happy. You can live a normal life, free from piracy.” Baby 5 looked away, unsure of herself. “You’re free to be your own person. You don’t have to serve anyone.”

“...Okay,” Baby 5 said quietly. “I understand.” Though she was smiling, it was easy to tell that she was also distressed. “I’ll go away if you need me to.”

Rocinante groaned quietly and put his head in his hand. Well, if he left her behind now, he’d only feel guilty about it. He’d hoped that she had enough dreams of her own that, once pulled free from that toxic environment, she’d go about her business...maybe she was still too young. He ran a hand through his hair as he watched her sulk.

Maybe Baby 5’s self-sacrificial nature would have been admirable, but the extent to which she took it worried him. What kind of trouble would she get into when she was older?

“Listen,” he finally said. “It’s not that I don’t like you. But I want you to have a choice in where you go now. If you come with me, the only place we’ll be headed is straight back to a dangerous situation. Are you okay with that?”

“I...I can be useful. My Devil Fruit--”

Gently, he placed a hand on her head. “There’s no doubt in my mind that you would be very helpful,” Rocinante said. “But I’m not taking you with me unless it’s something _you_ want to do. I want you to decide what’s best for _you_ , not for anyone else.”

“I…” Baby 5 eyed the island in the distance nervously. “I don’t know.”

She seemed torn. She looked between the island and Rocinante several times, bit her lip, and fidgeted nervously. Rocinante knew that it had probably just occurred to her that, perhaps, someone on that island needed her help, and that was conflicting with the _other_ people who might need her help. Clearly this problem wasn’t skin-deep.

“...There are plenty of other islands in the North Blue,” Rocinante said. “If it’s too much of an on the spot decision, there’s always another chance. And it’s a long way to Grand Line, too, so--”

“We’re going to Grand Line?” Baby 5 asked.

“There’s someone I have to speak to there,” Rocinante said.

“I’ve never been to Grand Line before,” Baby 5 said, eyes sparkling again. She leaned on the board between them and looked at Rocinante hopefully. “Can I go see it? Is it okay?”

He simply stared at her, mouth open in shock. Taking a young child to Grand Line was a terrible idea. It was a pirate-infested area with more than its fair share of danger in the ocean alone. It would be better for her to stay in one of the Blues, out of harm’s way--especially with Doflamingo headed in that direction.

...But, he couldn’t deny that the safest way to see Grand Line would be aboard a Marine vessel. And any pirate would think twice before they dared challenge Tsuru--even Doflamingo steered clear of her might. Sengoku was going to think he was crazy leading this little girl around treacherous waters. But she was making a choice by herself, _for_ herself, and he wanted to encourage that.

“...Well. We’re going to meet a very nice lady soon,” Rocinante began. “She might let us stay aboard her ship to see Grand Line.”

“Hmm…” Baby 5 crossed her arms. “Is she really nice? Do you think she’ll like me?”

“Absolutely.”

Baby 5 thought for another moment before she nodded. “Okay. Maybe I can be useful for her!”

Rocinante simply sighed and hoped that Tsuru had the patience to deal with this little pirate.

It wasn’t for another few hours before they caught sight of Marine sails in the distance. After having spent months being shot at, Tsuru’s warship was a bit intimidating. But Rocinante couldn’t help also feel a bit excited at the prospect of finally being among fellow marines again.

Baby 5, however, took it very differently. Her eyes widened and she took to hiding under one of the benches. Occasionally she’d peek back out to check that the ship was still there.

“Corazon…” she whispered. “Corazon, that’s a _Marine_ ship…”

“It’ll be alright,” he assured her. Then, he turned toward her. “Do you...hate the Marines?” Baby 5 was silent for a moment before she shook her head. “Are you sure?”

“I just don’t wanna be arrested…” she said quietly.

Rocinante suddenly laughed. “Oh--Look, kid, don’t worry about that. They don’t go around arresting children,” he said.

“But I’m…a pirate,” Baby 5 whispered. “And _you’re_ a pirate, too…”

Rocinante opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. Ah, yes. She was probably still half convinced that he wasn’t actually betraying Doflamingo and his crew. Just her. This was going to be an interesting conversation.

“I…” he began. “I’m not exactly a pirate.”

She furrowed her eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“When I met Doflamingo again, I let him assume what he wanted. About my voice, about who I was, about my...occupation.”

Baby 5 frowned at him before she clearly put two and two together, gasped, and looked back out at the Marine ships.

“You’re a Marine.”

“Yes, and I--”

“So _that’s_ why you were saying horrible things about them!” She yelled. Her hands balled up into tiny fists. “You’re not going on some secret mission for the Young Master, you just took me along with you cause you didn’t want me talking!”

He sighed. “Baby, look--”

“I don’t wanna go anywhere with you! I’m gonna tell the Young Master that you’re a traitor!”

She scrambled to the edge of the boat, making it rock back and forth wildly. There was nowhere for her to go, and he knew that she knew that, but she was still making an effort. She cupped her hands around her mouth.

“Young Maaaaaster!” She yelled. “We’ve over here! Corazon is a traitor!”

“Stop yelling, he can’t even hear you--!”

“Young Maaaaaaster!!”

Rocinante surged forward and grabbed Baby 5 around the middle. She yelped and flailed around wildly.

“Lemmie go! Lemmie go!” He winced as she kicked at him. “Get away from me, you traitor! Blood traitor!”

“Calm down!”

A few minutes passed and eventually Baby 5 turned to dead weight in his arms, causing him to put her back down. She scrambled to her side of the boat and continued to glare at him with the most menacing face possible--which was more goofy than scary. But he knew that she meant it, and knew that it was probably best to let her be for now.

Soon the ship was upon them. The warship dwarfed their little boat and spooked Baby 5. Though she was still angry, and now very, very wary, she clearly prefered the company of a traitor she was familiar with than these new, scary Marines. She slowly, defeatedly, came back from the other side of the boat and huddled by Rocinante’s knees.

From the side of the boat, Rocinante caught sight of three female Marine officers. They said something that he could just barely hear before a rope ladder was thrown over the side. It smacked against the side of the boat, startling Baby 5. He pet her head.

“They’re friendly, I can assure you,” he said. “Would you rather I go up first?”

She didn’t say anything, which he took as a yes. He climbed up the ladder slowly, steadily, while occasionally looking down to make sure that Baby 5 wasn’t struggling. She managed to keep his pace quite well. Once on the boat, he helped her onto the deck.

Now Rocinante wasn’t entirely familiar with Tsuru’s crew. He’d met a couple of them in passing once before when Tsuru had come around to Marineford. All that he really knew about them was that they were the only crew in the fleet that consisted of only female crewmen. And, much like the Vice Admiral herself, they were a force to be reckoned with. Baby 5 clung tightly to his pant leg, using him as a shield from the Marine women around them. Rocinante hadn’t been sure how they would react to him toting around a child, but two of Tsuru’s officers seemed to take a positive interest in Baby 5 the moment they saw her.

“Hello there, sweetie!” A green haired Marine greeted. Baby 5 flinched and retreated. “Haha, aww. Feeling a little shy?”

“I think she’s a little overwhelmed by everything right now,” Rocinante said. “She’s been through a lot.” Rocinante scratched the back of his head. “Is there anything for her to do on board? She might feel better if she has something to do.”

“I’ve got just the thing,” The marine woman said, getting down to Baby 5’s eye level. “Hey there. My name is Swan. Do you want to learn a little bit about navigation? I’m going to go work with the sea charts for a little while and you can come with me if you want to.”

Baby 5 avoided eye contact with her, instead looking up at Rocinante for help. The other Marine, a blonde-haired woman in sunglasses, decided to join in.

“We have some very tasty snacks back there,” she added. “Any kind that you like!”

“...Anything?” Baby 5 said finally.

“Anything!”

Baby 5 put her hand to her mouth as she thought. Rocinante figured that she was probably hungry, but she would surely be suspicious of taking food from strangers. She glanced up at Rocinante once more. But when he smiled at her, she pouted and looked away. Ah, yes, she remembered that she was still angry at him.

“Okay! I’ll go,” she said.

The green-haired woman took her by the hand and lead her off, talking to her about various things that quickly became inaudible after they passed through a door. Even after they disappeared, Rocinante stared after them. Hopefully Baby 5 would behave...and hopefully she would grow friendly with the other Marines.

The sound of boots drew his attention; Tsuru and two other of her Marine officers approached him. It had been several years since he’d seen her, and she still looked the same as ever. He vaguely wondered if there were ever times when she didn’t have business on her mind.

“Commander Rocinante,” Tsuru greeted with a nod.

“Vice Admiral Tsuru,” he responded. “It’s nice to see you. You’re looking--”

“Cut the small talk. What’s so important that we had to divert all attention to finding you?”

Rocinante pulled out the tiny scroll of information and presented it to Tsuru. She wordlessly plucked it from his hands, turned around, and opened it. She took several minutes to read it before she tucked it away into her pocket and looked back at him.

“...Hmmm...I see. There’s more to this than any of us could have suspected,” she said. “Good work, Commander. We’ll deal with this immediately.” She glanced in the direction that her crew mates had taken Baby 5 and then looked back at Rocinante with a curious expression. “By the way...where did you find the girl? She’s quite cute, but it certainly isn’t like you to adopt out of the blue.”

“My brother picked her up somewhere,” he replied. “She was living with them for a while.”

Tsuru’s expression darkened in a way that sent a chill down Rocinante’s spine. She looked out at the sea, in the general direction of where the Donquixote pirates had last been spotted, eyes narrowing.

“Recruiting young, impressionable children into his crew...” she said with an indignant huff. “I’ll destroy that man.”

“I was hoping that, once precautionary measures are taken for Dressrosa, it would be possible to rescue them,” Rocinante said. “There’s a boy with them, he’s sick and--”

“Even if Sengoku insists on diverting our attention from them, I will not let that man walk freely,” Tsuru responded. “If he thinks he can make a mockery of the Marines--if he thinks he can make a mockery of _me_ , he’s got another thing coming. Those children will come home.”

Rocinante nodded, feeling a bit comforted by this. Still he was concerned; mostly for Law’s well being. Once they put a stop to Doflamingo’s future plans, it would most likely prevent Doflamingo from finding that Op-Op Fruit. The clock was ticking and he didn’t have much time left. They couldn’t afford to wait too long to help him.

He wondered if he’d made the right choice.

 

* * *

 

Several days into their stay with Tsuru and Baby 5 was still determinedly ignoring him. Rocinante didn’t mind; she seemed to be getting along with Tsuru’s crew well enough. He figured that she was very much enjoying being around so many older women--after all, the only other woman she’d been around was Jora. They bought her clothes when they stopped for supplies and treated her with candies and compliments.

But after a couple weeks into their stay, Rocinante became a little concerned. Baby 5 made it a point to show him that she was angry. Occasionally she bumped into him, made annoyed sounds, or even just ignored his attempts at communication. He’d tried apologizing but she wasn’t hearing any of it. It seemed like she just wanted to stay mad.

Without anything to do, Rocinante spent his time watching the sea. It was boring, and didn’t make him feel better. And, eventually, Tsuru took notice.

“You’re broody.”

“I’m not,” Rocinante said.

“Don’t you lie to me, young man. I’ve known you long enough to tell,” Tsuru asked. Rocinante turned back and gave her an annoyed look. “You upset that little girl, didn’t you? What did you do?”

“I...may not have been entirely honest with her,” Rocinante said, earning him a disapproving shake of the head from Tsuru.

“Oh, goodness, _this_ problem again,” she said.

“But she’s _more_ angry about what I’ve been saying about the Donquixote pirates, I think,” he countered. “And that I wasn’t really one of them.”

Tsuru eyed him. “Is that so.”

“She’s been living with them for quite some time now," he said. "Years, even. I don’t know what sort of situation she was in before, but she really does believe those people were her family.” He sighed. “Everything she knows is wrong and she doesn’t trust me anymore. How am I supposed to talk to her about it?”

“Now, now, commander. She may be a child, but she’ll understand if you speak honestly to her. Children are wiser than you might believe,” she said. Then, she chuckled. “I seem to recall a little blond boy being just as clever at her age…”

Rocinante’s face flushed a little and he laughed a little. “What should I say?”

“Just be honest,” she said. “And _don’t_ start a conversation by telling her that everything she’s known up until this point is wrong.”

With an encouraging shove from Tsuru--who remained just as strong after all those years--he set off to find Baby 5. He checked the crew cabins and the lounge area, checked the deck twice, and even went to the boiler room and the lavatories. She was nowhere to be found, quite possibly hiding from him.

Eventually a red-haired marine officer directed Rocinante to the kitchen, where they had last seen Baby 5. But when he entered, he saw no one except the chef, who was working away mixing some kind of savory sauce on the stove. Rocinante circled around the area slowly, trying to see if Baby 5 was hiding behind anything. The chef eventually chuckled at him and pointed down to cabinet a couple feet away.

Rocinante tensed before he cleared his throat and reached for the door. He knocked twice. There was no response.

“Baby 5? Are you in there?”

“Go away.” A muffled voice squeaked at him.

That was definitely her. He opened the cupboard and found her squished inside with a bunch of cleaning supplies.

“Ah, hi,” Rocinante greeted. “Are you still mad at me?” Baby 5 glared at him and then pushed herself further into the cupboard, knocking over a couple boxes of soap in the process. He sat down beside the cupboard and gave her his best smile. “I thought we could talk.”

“I don’t want to talk to you,” Baby 5 muttered.

“I know,” he said. “I’m...I wanted to apologize for the way I’ve been acting. I should’ve told you who I was after we left.” She was still determinedly not looking at him. “I shouldn’t have lied to you.”

“Well it’s too late for that, cause you already did,” she said.

“I know. And again, I apologize.”

A silence fell between them as Rocinante struggled for something to say--something that wouldn’t outright talk down Baby 5’s beloved family again. The chef, noticing the tension in the atmosphere, excused herself for the moment. Once he heard the swinging doors open and close again, he spoke up again.

“...You know...I was once your age, too. Young, awkward, going through a hard time,” he said. “I was a little short for my age, even.”

Baby 5 narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s impossible,” she said. “You’re like twice as big as anyone else I know!”

“Oh no, it’s true. It took me a while to grow. I used to get upset about it.” He crossed his arms. “...Before I came to the Marines, Doffy and I lived alone on the streets. We pulled food out of the garbage and occasionally had to steal it just to get by. The people around us didn’t like us much either--” The understatement of the century, he thought, but now wasn’t the time and place to open _that_ can of worms, “--so we would often be chased, heckled, or beaten.”

Baby 5 perked up a little, seeming less mad and more curious.

“Young Master never told us anything like that,” she said.

“Doffy doesn’t like to talk about it,” he replied. “I don’t blame him. What we went through as children...it’s something no other child should have to experience. It’s probably why he finds kids like you and takes them in.”

Baby 5 lifted her head. “So he’s not a bad person,” she said.

“I didn’t say that.” Rocinante shifted in place. “Doffy and I became separated when we were young. I was lucky to be found by Sengoku and I came to live with him. But Doffy...He returned to the streets and recruited others like him who would follow him, give their lives for him.” He closed his eyes. “All that rage brought out the real monster within him.”

Doffy was going to harm a lot of innocent people,” Rocinante continued. “That’s why I infiltrated his crew, and that’s why I took you away. And when I found you and the other children, I was worried that in his quest for power he was going to put you in harm’s way.” He looked at her with his best sincere expression. “I know it’s difficult to hear this about your family, but they weren’t good people and I didn’t want you to grow up being just like them. Again, I’m sorry, and I hope you can forgive me.”

With that, he stood up with the full intention of giving her plenty of space. However, moments later, Baby 5 climbed back out from the cabinet. She dusted off her dress and replaced the bottles where she had been sitting before she scampered over to Rocinante. She looked like she felt guilty now, and he hoped she hadn’t changed her mind simply because he wanted her to.

“...I guess I’m not that mad that I had to leave,” Baby 5 confessed. “It doesn’t really matter where I go so long as I’m needed. I miss Law and Jora and Buffalo and Dellinger and everyone else, too, but the Marine ladies are really nice to me and they always tell me I’m a big help.” She looked at Rocinante with hopeful eyes. “I’m useful to you, too, right? I don’t have to go away?”

“Of course not,” he said. He reached down and ruffled her hair. “In fact, I’m really starting to like having you around, kid.”

 

* * *

 

It was widely known that a Marine ship was one of the fastest methods of navigating the seas, and was one of the only ships that could make it through the extremely dangerous Calm Belt. However, to reach Grand Line, it still was a matter of crossing several different seas which took time. Weeks passed before they hit Grand Line and even from there it was a long way to Marineford. However, it served as great opportunity for Rocinante to learn more about Baby 5. And she was more than willing to share.

Her favorite color was yellow. Her favorite animals were dogs. She loved strawberry shortcake. She had a knack for finding things whenever something went missing. While with the Donquixote pirates, Jora had taught her how to draw, and she enjoyed drawing crayon portraits of anyone who asked for one.

In time, she picked up the duty-bound behavior of Tsuru’s crew and got herself her own set of chores to make herself feel useful. The crew had told her that it wasn’t necessary but she insisted, and soon she was working side by side with the older Marine women, learning from them. She even had a tiny junior Marine uniform that one of the crewmen tailored for her, complete with a tiny hat. What was most important of all, though, was that she seemed happy.

Rocinante took to catching up on world events and Marine news. He contacted Sengoku several times, sharing with him tales from the Donquixote pirates when his superior had the time to talk about it. Tsuru set him to work reporting every single detail he could remember about his stay with the pirates as well. Baby 5 proved important, too, with the intimate knowledge she’d picked up from conversations the adults no doubt assumed she hadn’t been listening in on.

He’d forgotten how much he missed talking so openly, so _freely_ with the people around him.

When Baby 5 took to helping out the chef, Rocinante ended up spending time in the mess hall. He brought papers and quietly read through the articles. Some were about the pirate warlords, others were about new projects in Grand Line, or about public figures. Today’s happened to have an interesting article detailing a reporter’s trip to a desert country. He’d never been to Alabasta himself, but the country rang a bell for him--where had he heard someone mention it before?

The swinging doors of the kitchen opened quietly, revealing Baby 5 with a tea cup and saucer in her hands.

“I brought you some tea, Mr. Cora!” She announced.

He wasn’t sure when she’d started preferring that to “Corazon”, but it was a bit of an improvement. Maybe eventually she’d become used to “Rocinante” instead.

“Ah, thank you.” Rocinante gently took it from her and brought the teacup up to his lips before he paused. Baby 5 was giggling to herself. He smirked and gave her a knowing look. “Oh, _I_ see what you’re up to…”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said innocently.

“Is that so?”

“Mhm!”

Rocinante narrowed her eyes at her before he took that first sip of what he now knew was scalding hot tea. Immediately he spit it out and fell backwards in his chair. Baby 5 burst out laughing as he hit the floor. He rubbed his head as he laughed along with her. It was definitely worth it just this once.

“Sneaking up on your commander to play pranks…” he said. “That’d be fifty laps around Marineford for a recruit! Why, I ought to...”

Baby 5 hovered over the table, which she could only just see over, and examined his newspaper. “What’s that place?” She asked, pointing to the black and white image in the paper.

Rocinante picked up his chair again before eyeing the picture. It was of the inner part of Alubarna, Alabasta’s capital city.

“Ah, that’s Alabasta. We passed by it a couple weeks ago. It’s a very dry, arid country,” Rocinante explained. “Mostly desert, I believe.”

“Hmm.” Baby 5 eyed the picture for a moment. “Do you think Miss Tsuru will let us go back there? It looks like a nice place to visit.”

“I highly doubt it, we’re far enough behind schedule already,” he replied. “But...hmm. I _am_ due for a vacation. I’ve certainly got enough vacation days saved up for one.” He looked at her. “If you’d like to come with me, we could take a little trip--”

“Commander!” A blonde-haired woman appeared in the doorway. “We’ve got Marineford in our sights. Tsuru wants you on deck.”

 

* * *

 

Marineford had a special smell to it; like the salty sea and damp rainclouds, fresh work boots, gunpowder, sweat, and polished floors. It was the home he never thought he’d see again. There had been such a slim chance of success that he couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment at just being able to see that giant Marine insignia towering above him.

They disembarked with several dozen of Tsuru’s sea-weary crewmen, Baby 5 sitting on his shoulders to get a good view of the place. She probably would have never set foot on Marine soil in her wildest dreams. It was a big, new place with lots to explore and no trouble for her to encounter. But before they could take off on any tours, he spotted Sengoku waiting for him with two other officers at his side.

“Commander Rocinante,” Sengoku greeted with a smile. “Welcome home.”

“Good to be back, sir,” Rocinante responded. “It feels like ages since I last set foot at HQ.”

Sengoku glanced up at Baby 5, who was peering down from her perch upon Rocinante’s shoulders. “I see you brought home a little friend,” he said. “Is this the child I’ve heard so much about over the transponder, then?”

“Yes--this is Baby 5,” he said. “Tsuru’s trained her into quite the junior Marine.”

“Do you want to be a Marine?”

Baby 5 made a face. “Do...Do I have to decide right now?”

Both Sengoku and Rocinante chuckled.

“Oh, not right now. In due time, perhaps,” Sengoku replied. “I’m sure you have a lot to think about before you make any hasty decisions.” He eyed her “I hope Tsuru didn’t have you working too hard?”

“Nope!” Baby 5 shook her head. “Mr. Cora was right, she _is_ a really nice lady!”

After a short rundown of what was happening, Sengoku left Rocinante and Baby 5 to do a little bit of exploring. He showed her some of the basic things; the barracks, the mess hall, one of their artificially made beaches. Eventually they made their way into the offices, and he decided to make a stop at his office.

And, he had to admit, being back in his own office was weird.

It had always been a quiet little hole in the wall-- _too_ quiet now. For so long he’d been used to the lack of privacy of the Donquixote pirates, and then again with the close confinements on Tsuru’s warship. It was almost alien now, to have his own private little space where he could effectively keep people out and away from him. It would come at the price of paperwork, but paperwork was certainly better than gunshots and cannonballs.

Baby 5 immediately made herself at home. She ran between his legs and climbed into the chair behind the desk, which made her look even smaller than she actually was. Though it was large and heavy, she managed to scoot it forward until she could rest her elbows on the desk. She put on the little Marine cap she’d been given and then looked at him.

“ _I’m_ the big Marine boss now, Mr. Cora,” she said with her best serious face.

“That so, huh?” Rocinante shook his head. “I guess that means I’ll have to give you my office. Do you need anything, Ms. Marine Boss?”

Baby 5 opened her mouth to say something, closed it, and then furrowed her eyebrows as she thought about this. Then, she slid off of the chair and stepped away from the desk.

“Nope. It’s okay, I was just playing,” she said. “I don’t need anything, Mr. Cora.”

“Ahaha. I know that.”

He took his seat in the chair, which fit like a glove compared to Baby 5. She, instead, took to opening the window to look outside. Those oh so familiar sounds of Marine drills belted out by an officer echoed in. From the sound of the specific drills, it seemed to be a bunch of new, young recruits. Baby 5 watched them curiously as she leaned against the window frame, her head resting in one of her hands.

It seemed like it wasn’t too long ago that he was a little recruit himself, scrubbing floors and faithfully attending to chores, waking up at the crack of dawn to run laps around Marineford.

“Ah...I don’t think I’ve ever asked,” Rocinante began. “What exactly is it that you want to do when you grow up? I figured someone like you would have a plan in mind.”

Immediately, Baby 5 blurted out, “I want to get married!”

Rocinante blinked. “...Really? Is that all?”

“Mhm! That’s what would make me happy,” she said. “I want to meet someone who loves and needs me most of all!”

“Well, for a pretty girl like yourself, I’m sure that won’t be a problem.” Rocinante rubbed his chin. “That said...someone might take advantage of you if you’re not careful.”

“What do you mean?”

Rocinante opened his mouth. Baby 5 was giving him that innocent look again. Right. What was the best way to go about saying this?

“Okay, for example,” he began. ”Say, a man you’ve never met walks up to you and tells you he wants to marry you--”

Baby 5’s face flushed and she smiled widely. “ _Oh_ …!” she sighed dreamily. “Love at first sight...Of course I’d say yes!”

Rocinante poked her on the nose. “No, you tell him that you’ll think about it. Get him to back up that claim,” he said. “There are a lot of men in this world without pure intentions. It’s entirely possible he only likes you for your beauty and nothing else.”

“It’s okay! I’d love him anyway!” She exclaimed. “If he loves me, it’s okay!”

“No, it’s _not_ okay.”

“Why are you being so mean again?” She said. “I just wanna be useful, Mr. Cora.”

Rocinante sighed and looked at Baby 5, who was wringing her hands. She still had so much to unlearn. The Donquixote Pirates had been an awful set of enablers. He went over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

“No matter how much or how little you do, you will _never_ be useless just for existing,” he said. “And if your future spouse doesn’t think the same, then they’re not worth it. Okay?”

Baby 5 sniffled and rubbed her eyes, but nodded. There was a knock at the door seconds later, catching both of them by surprise. It opened, and Sengoku glanced inside.

“Rocinante,” he called. “I need to borrow you again for a moment. We’re about to discuss the Dressrosa matter.”

“Of course,” Rocinante replied before giving Baby 5 one last look. “We’ll talk more about this later, alright?” He patted her on the head and quickly left. “You’re welcome to look around HQ in the meantime, but don’t go too far.”

And then she was alone.

She walked around the room a couple times, peeking out both windows again. Then, she took to quietly rummaging through Rocinante’s drawers. There wasn’t anything interesting, just old cigarettes and some unfinished, boring paperwork. She waited patiently in the chair for a while, swinging her legs and humming all the while. It eventually got too boring and she decided to do some exploring of her own. Maybe there were some snacks in the mess hall, too.

Baby 5 skipped along the hallway trying to remember exactly which way they had come from. Each way looked about the same; white floors and white walls with big windows. She took to the right and continued walking along, humming and looking out the window at the Marines training outside.

Then, she stopped. A bunch of Marines passed down a connecting corridor and she hid herself up against the wall. None of them seemed to notice her, all busy laughing and talking among themselves. But one of them stood out to her: a man with half of a burger on the side of his face. And he seemed to notice her, too.

Baby 5 squinted to look at him, finding something strangely familiar about this person. Dark hair, dark glasses...and then it hit her.

“Vergo?”

Once the other Marines disappeared, and they were left alone, he walked toward her calmly. Rocinante’s words echoed in her ears: these were not good people. That meant Vergo, too.

“...Baby 5?” Vergo said in disbelief.

He took a step forward. She took two steps back.

“Wh-what are you doing here?” She asked. “I thought you were supposed to be…?”

“I should be asking you the same question,” he said. “How did you come to be here? It’s a very, very long way from the North Blue…Is the Young Master around here somewhere as well, then?”

Baby 5 simply stared at him, unsure of what how to respond.

“But why would Doflamingo risk coming out to Grand Line ahead of schedule…” he muttered. “And why, of all people, would he send you here?”

Finally Vergo came too close. Baby 5 warped her hand into a flintlock pistol and aimed it directly at his face. He stopped and the friendly expression dropped from his face.

“I knew it.”

Vergo jerked out of the way as she fired the gun in panic.The bullet shattered the window behind them, leaving glass all over the floor. She scrambled away down the corridor, firing the gun wildly and without aim. But Vergo kept coming. And he was faster.

“Mr. Cora!” She screeched as Vergo swiped for her again. “Mr. Cora! It’s Vergo!”

She raced through the halls, trying to remember where she had come from and where Mr. Cora had gone to, but everything was still too new. Vergo seemed to have the upperhand as well. She stopped for a minute, panting and looking around wildly in a hallway intersection. Vergo had disappeared momentarily. But...where…?

Suddenly, she was grabbed; Vergo had come from the behind. He picked her up and held her almost effortlessly.

“Doffy told me that you and Corazon--no, Rocinante, escaped,” he said. “He had his hypotheses, but the moment I heard it had been Rocinante, I understood what was happening.” He held her carefully, restraining her arms. Baby 5, too frightened, simply shivered in his grip. “I did a little looking around. Turns out that _Commander_ Rocinante was out on a mission.”

“M-Mr. Cora!” Baby 5 yelled again.

“What did he tell you?” Vergo said. “What lies did he fill your head with?” When she didn’t reply, he scowled. “Our position here has been jeopardized. I’ll take you back safely to--”

“I-I don’t want to go back!”

Vergo paused, clearly not expecting to hear that. “What? But they need you.”

Baby 5 flinched. They wanted her back. They _needed_ her. She squeezed her eyes shut. Always eager to please, it was hard to resist the call. She wanted desperately to say yes, to go and please them as she always had before. But they were bad people, that’s what he’d said. Bad people who would simply take advantage of her. And she wasn’t supposed to let them.

“I….I don’t want to!” She repeated, tearing up as she said it. “The people here...they said I’m always useful no matter what! And I w-wanna stay here!”

Vergo was about to respond to this when there was the click of a gun at his back.

“Let her go, Vergo.”

“Rocinante,” Vergo said.

“So this is where Doflamingo sent you,” Rocinante said. “I don’t know how you managed to infiltrate us so easily, but I’m not letting you leave.” He jabbed Vergo with the pistol more forcefully. “Now _put her down_.”

Vergo turned to face him, revealing Baby 5, who was now wiping at her eyes furiously and looking to  Rocinante for help.

“The girl belongs with her family,” Vergo said sternly. “Not with these Marine _dogs_.”

“That’s not your decision to make,” Rocinante said. “It’s hers. And if I heard her correctly, she _doesn’t_ want to go.”

Vergo took two steps back. A flurry of feet behind him caught his attention; a wall of armed Marines was now blocking his exit on two sides. And, from behind Rocinante, another set, all eyeing Vergo with their best glares. But Vergo didn’t back down. He held tight to Baby 5, seeming to have all intentions of blasting through the barricade of men.

“I’ll ask you one more time to put her down,” Rocinante said sternly.

For a moment, Vergo just stood there. He sized up the situation before, to Rocinante’s surprise, he let Baby 5 down. She raced over to him and hid behind his legs. But before Rocinante could even call out an order, Vergo attacked. He effortlessly sent half a dozen men flying backwards down the hall with a single punch. As the others descended upon him, he sent them back as well. Rocinante knew that he was no ordinary man; he was Doflamingo’s top officer, trained and readied for any opponent. No ordinary bunch of Marines could take him on.

As he broke through the last barricade of men and took off running, Rocinante raced after him.

“Sound the alarm!” He called to the remaining Marines. “Don’t let Vergo escape!”

He weaved through the hallways, chasing after Vergo as he dodged other Marines and obstacles. He stumbled several times and slipped on a patch of wet floor, but he kept going. He couldn’t let Vergo get to a ship. If he warned Doflamingo of what was coming they had no chance.

Vergo raced directly into a dead end, but this didn’t seem to faze him. He turned about face to look dead on at Rocinante, who stopped a few feet from him.

“You’re cornered, Vergo,” he said.

“No,” he said. “I’m right where I want to be.”

Vergo struck his face, leaving him a ripe bruise around his eye. He dodged the next attack. And the next. But the rate that Vergo came at him was too much to keep up with. He was still out of practice. Fighting Vergo one-on-one wouldn’t end well. He knew that he was no match for Vergo’s Haki abilities.

But if he could at least stall him for long enough…

Then Vergo came at him again. He swung his mighty Haki fist. Rocinante darted out of the way. He countered with his own punch. While much less powerful, it was enough to push Vergo back. He came again, this time hitting Rocinante square in the chest. He was knocked forcefully into a wall, which left him sputtering.

The next attack narrowly avoided contact with Rocinante’s head as he ducked down below Vergo. His fist collided with the wall and sent pieces of brick and drywall flying.

He was plain and simple trying to kill him, no doubt about it.

“This is your fault,” Vergo spat. “You ruined us.”

“You did that yourselves,” Rocinante said.

Just after Vergo grabbed the front of his shirt and prepared for another blow, a familiar golden fist struck Vergo’s side, catching him off guard. He slammed into the wall beside him, where Sengoku held him in place easily. Vergo glared at him through the missing lense in his now busted sunglasses.

Rocinante slipped to the floor, exhausted. Baby 5 came running in from behind Sengoku and a couple other Vice Admirals. She looked at Rocinante with concern.

“Are you okay, Mr. Cora?” She asked.

“I’m fine, just...bruised,” he replied, wheezing. “It could be a lot worse.”

“I cannot believe this,” Sengoku said. “One of my top Marines, a spy! Hiding right under our noses…”

Vergo said nothing as he was quickly subdued, but he did glare menacingly at Rocinante as he passed down the hall, restrained by Sengoku.

 

* * *

 

It was just a few bruises, a black eye...and a little bleeding in places...and yet Rocinante still sat in the infirmary at Sengoku’s insistence. He’d had much worse before but orders were orders. He gently placed a bag of ice on his eye, wincing a bit as it touched the slowly forming bruise. Baby 5 sat in a chair near him, seeming down about herself.

“Hey,” he said. “I’m proud of you for what you did back there.”

“For what?” She asked. “I couldn’t do anything to stop him.”

“He tried to convince you to go with him and you told him off,” Rocinante replied. “I wasn’t expecting you to do that.”

Baby 5 smiled weakly. “He...He said they needed me…” she said quietly. “But you said they were bad…They’re going to be upset with me…I don’t want them to be upset...”

He reached out to her and cupped her cheek. “No, you did the right thing. They shouldn’t be ordering you around and you’re beginning to understand that,” he said. “You made a decision for yourself, by yourself.”

“I...I still feel bad,” Baby 5 said. “They needed me…”

She clenched the edge of her dress tightly and stared down at her toes. Rocinante reached out to her slowly and put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, eyes filled with tears and then she lurched forward and grabbed onto him. She held tight, sobbing quietly into his shirt. He held her without a word, unsure of what to say.

It was likely that Vergo had passed on information to Doflamingo which would allow him to evade capture. It was entirely possible that Dressrosa would still end up in his hands more forcefully and be reduced to ruins.

But even if nothing else worked out, at least he’d done right by this little girl.

 


End file.
